Common threat at popular camping ground prompts warning to Aussies: 'Quite frequent'

Camping has long been a favourite activity for many Aussies, but those hoping to pitch a tent this summer have been warned to remain vigilant. It comes after one woman's close encounter with a deadly and unexpected threat while enjoying the outdoors last week.

While staying with her family along the Murray River, in Torrumbarry, Victoria — a seemingly popular spot for campers — the tourist opted for a ride on a knee-board, which was being towed by a boat in the water. But suddenly, a "decent sized" eastern brown snake "came up towards her face", the woman's dad revealed on social media.

"She quickly pushed the board away and swam to [the] bank," he said. "We sprayed the board with the boat wash to dislodge the snake and it swam to shore and away in the bushes".

Extremely venomous snake spotted among campers

Reacting to an image of the culprit resting precariously on the board in the water, Stuart McKenzie from Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers told Yahoo News Australia it's likely the snake "wasn't trying to attack". Instead, he suggested, "it would have thought the knee board was dry land and wanted to exit the water."

Eastern brown snakes are extremely venomous and are "responsible for most [snake] deaths in Australia", professional snake handler Chris Williams previously told Yahoo.

It's important to know that the species, along with others, "have great swimming ability," Stuart said. "Brown snakes will sometimes swim in rivers or canals, often to try and cross to another area."

Snakes commonly seen at popular camping ground, visitors warn

Camping along the Murray River is common, and for those who've visited, a snake or two might not be so foreign — but others admitted they had no idea snakes could swim. Commenting on the photo shared on Monday, one man claimed "some sections of the Murray are absolutely snake-infested."

While camping along Potterwalkagee Creek, which flows into the river, he said "a tiger snake made a beeline [for me]" while fishing. "It swam straight at me, I got well away. My swag did not come out," he explained.

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Another person agreed you "quite frequently get snakes in the water while fishing in the Murray". "They'll sometimes have a go at coming aboard [our boat]. Although, I've never seen a brown do that, they are mostly black snakes that I've seen near the river," he said.

"I've seen one swim across the Murray River when camping," someone else chimed in. "He found a nice place to hide about a metre away from one bloke's tent"

"Better there than inside that swag I see in the background," another quipped.

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